Understanding Donor Egg IVF

IVF is the only way to utilize donor eggs for a pregnancy. 

In IVF that uses donor eggs, the either fresh or frozen/thawed donor eggs and sperm (donor or partner) are combined in our lab to create embryos. After growing for several days in an incubator, an embryo or embryos are transferred to the intended parent’s uterus or to the uterus of a gestational carrier.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FRESH AND FROZEN DONOR EGGS?

People can use either fresh or frozen donor eggs for IVF, and the IVF success rates are similar between both options. Deciding which type of donor egg to use is entirely up to the intended parent(s) and their preferences.

FRESH EGG DONATIONS

In fresh egg donation, you select a donor, who undergoes ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval. All the eggs retrieved are fertilized immediately with sperm (donor or partner) and any resulting embryos are either transferred or frozen. 

Selecting the donor may mean selecting a friend or family member who donates eggs, but you may also select a donor from an egg bank who will undergo ovarian stimulation specifically for you. 

One batch of fresh egg donations typically contains around 20 eggs and they would all belong to you.

FROZEN EGG DONATIONS

Frozen donor eggs from a cryobank come from an unknown donor who has already gone through ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval. You’ll know how many eggs are available in a ‘lot’ that you purchase. Each egg bank has a database of anonymized egg donor profiles so you can find the right donor eggs for your family among those that are already frozen there. Based on the person’s transfer cycle timeline, the fertility clinic lab thaws and fertilizes the eggs with sperm (donor or partner) to create the embryos.

There is less wait time to start IVF treatment with frozen eggs. 

Egg banks sell donor eggs in smaller batches than retrieved in a typical fresh egg donation. Egg banks often split egg donations into batches of about 6-8 eggs to provide to multiple clients. Even though there are fewer eggs, there is a high probability the donor eggs will be successful due to the young age of the egg donor. 

WHO CAN BECOME AN EGG DONOR?

Egg donors can be known or anonymous to the intended parent(s). Egg donation is highly regulated, and fertility clinics or donor egg businesses must follow FDA guidelines for human organ or tissue donation. Egg donors must be legal adults in their state and are typically between the ages of 21 to 34. Egg banks often have a smaller age range for eligibility and usually require egg donors to be 21 to 31.

All potential egg donors undergo a reproductive health exam, medical history review, and psychological evaluation. The screening also includes tests for genetic conditions, STIs, and other diseases. 

Besides age, egg banks have other strict eligibility requirements for egg donors. Requirements vary across egg banks, but they often include the following:

✓ No presenting symptoms of psychological or medical conditions
✓ 21 to 31 years old
✓ Non-smoker and drug-free
✓ Obtained at least a high school diploma or GED
✓ BMI between 18 and 27